


Match Made

by cosipotente



Category: Free!
Genre: Birthday Presents, Fluff, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 03:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1413574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosipotente/pseuds/cosipotente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, he is taken aback by Nitori's openness, his honesty, both to himself and others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Match Made

The box sits like a stone at the bottom of Rin's pocket. The weight of its implications keep him rooted where he is. He's managed to find a quiet spot against the wall opposite of his loud and excited teammates.

Samezuka's swim team had all pitched in for celebrating Nitori's birthday. Him being one of the favorite underclassmen had its advantages. A third year had talked his parents into letting the team host the party in their restaurant. Others chipped in with decorations or presents. And a second year member, whose family ran a bakery supplied the cake. It's a monstrous, towering thing big enough to feed them all, twice.

Rin watches them dote on Nitori, over exaggerated and loud. The older swimmers exclaiming that their sweetest son was growing up too fast. Part of Rin wants to close the short distance between them, joke and play with Nitori too. But the part of him that wants to stay put wins and he doesn't move.

He finds it more comfortable to hang back and watch; it gives him an opportunity to observe Nitori as much as he wants.

"Time to sing!" Seijuuro announces, clapping Nitori on the back with enough force to almost send him face first into the cake.

The lights in the restaurant dim and the candles on the cake are lit. Nitori's face lights up from the glow of the tall candles and with unabashed delight as the whole team sings off-key around him. The smile that stretches across his face spreads infectiously to the other guys as well.

It makes Rin's chest tighten and he shifts his gaze to the floor. Sometimes, he is taken aback by Nitori's openness, his honesty, both to himself and others. It's endearing and refreshing.

A smile tugs at the corner of Rin's mouth as he recalls Nitori tearfully trying to coax him back from a suicide that was never happening. The sincerity in his eyes, the desperate way Nitori clung to his ankles, solidified an idea Rin had been pondering on. The shorty liked him as more than a friend and senpai.

And Rin found he didn't mind Nitori having a crush on him. In fact, the more he thought about it and the more he noticed how Nitori reacted towards him, the more Rin found himself drawn to Nitori.

After the culture festival, once they returned to their dorm room, Rin cornered Nitori. He had listened to Nitori calling him beautiful all night. At first, Rin had waved the compliments off as Nitori being weird. But the closer he listened to Nitori, the more Rin realized what he was trying to get out. So in the privacy of their room, Rin slowly coaxed a confession out of Nitori, using even slower kisses to encourage him.

They've been dating ever since.

Rin reaches his hand into his pocket. His fingers  brush over the velveteen wrapping covering Nitori's present. He wonders if Nitori ever realized how serious he would get about their relationship.

The lights turn back on and Rin looks over at the boy in question, their eyes meeting. Nitori gives him soft look and Rin returns it with a wink making Nitori blush.

His reactions are just too honest. But Rin wouldn't have it any other way.

The cake starts getting doled out and Rin decides to push off the wall then. He makes his way to the two tables pushed together to accommodate the team. Standing over Nitori's shoulder he reaches forward and swipes his finger into the icing of Nitori's slice of cake. Rin smirks, wiping his finger on Nitori's cheek.

"Senpai!" Nitori whines, but he's smiling as he rubs the icing off with a napkin.

Rin's teasing somehow becomes a signal for the others to start throwing their food. Handfuls of cake go splattering everywhere. Before either of them can get hit with any of the sweet confection, Rin grabs Nitori by the hand and they escape outside.

"My presents..." Nitori mumbles pitifully, staring through the restaurant's window.

Rin rolls his eyes. "They'll bring them back to the dorm later." Just in case though, Rin reaches for his phone and sends Seijuuro an e-mail to remind him.

The evening sun sits heavy in the sky, and Rin guesses they have an hour or two before it sets—before they have to be back in the dorms.

He jerks his head toward the direction of the beach.

"Let's go."

Nitori bites his bottom lip in that unsure way of his that makes Rin want to push him down and redden the pink of Nitori's lip himself. He holds himself in check though. Their relationship hasn't become that physical and Rin doesn't plan on rushing it.

Nitori looks back at the restaurant. "Is it okay to leave?"

Rin shrugs, starting for the beach. After a few steps, the gray haired boy is a warm presence at his side.

The beach is a ten minute walk from where they are and they trek along in a comfortable silence. Rin puts one hand in the pocket holding the box, and the other hand he threads with Nitori's. From the corner of his eye, he watches Nitori's face turn a soft pink, even the tips of his ears flush with color. But what Rin is waiting for is a demand for a gift, or even the slightest pout.

Nitori does neither. He walks beside Rin quietly, his thumb drawing the occasional circle against the back of Rin's hand. Nitori demands nothing of Rin; accepts and likes him as he is. And Rin couldn't ask for more.

He grips the box hidden inside his pocket until the corners start biting into his skin.

"I got you something. A present." Rin tries, just barely passing for nonchalant. To be honest, his heart is beating like a wild thing in his throat.

Nitori's grip on his hand tightens. "You didn't have to, Matsuoka-senpai." He says, looking down at his feet. "I got to spend the day with you. That's all I wanted."

Rin's insides do a stupid little flop. He pulls Nitori into his arms, crushing him against his chest in a tight hug.

"When you say cute things like that," Rin murmurs, dropping his head to talk into Nitori's ear. "It makes me want to push you down."

The shorter boy goes rigid with embarrassment, mouth opening and closing but nothing comes out.

Rin chuckles. "Well, I guess you don't really need what I got you. Huh, _Ai-chan_?"

Nitori throws his hands around Rin's neck. "N-no! I need it!"

Rin pulls the box from his pocket, watching Nitori's blue eyes widen. No matter how one looks at it, the present was clearly wrapped by Rin's sister; cute and neat. Nitori unties the bow and peels away the velveteen wrapping (which he shoves into Rin's hands). Rin keeps his eyes on Nitori's face when he opens the box, revealing a silver ring hanging from a matching a chain.

Red darkens Nitori's cheeks and he goes a little slack-jawed. A stunned silence settles between them for a long moment until Nitori stutters out a soft thank you. There's a catch to his voice, like he's on the verge of tears, but for Nitori's pride, Rin ignores it. Instead, he offers to put the necklace on for Nitori.

"You know," Rin says softly, taking the chain in his hand. "I had the hardest time trying to pick something out for you. I know your favorite foods, favorite colors, favorite brands of clothes, and what manga and books you like. But every time I went shopping, I couldn't decide on anything."

Nitori drops his head against Rin's chest, letting him do up the clasp while also hiding his reddened face.

"Then I saw this, and I didn't know if you'd like it, but I bought it anyway. Do you like it?" Rin, for his own pride, ignores the unsure tinge in his voice.

Nitori nods emphatically. "I really like it."

"Good, I'd feel like an idiot for wearing this if you didn't." He pulls out a matching black necklace and ring from beneath his shirt.

"Senpai!"

Rin gives Nitori a noogie, ruffling his hair. "Happy birthday."

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written 2013-09-28. I just wanted to contribute something to the Free fandom here, even if it's old.


End file.
